Towing vehicles and towed vehicles such as automotive vehicles and trailers are mechanically interconnected by means of a hitch assembly which includes two components that are adapted to be mechanically interconnected, but which may be separated when it is desired to use the automotive vehicle separate and apart from the towed vehicle or trailer. A typical and common arrangement is an automotive vehicle utilized in towing of a recreational or other type of trailer where it is frequently desired to leave the trailer at a fixed location and to then separately use the automotive vehicle. The most usual type of hitch assembly utilized in this specific application is known as the ball and socket type hitch wherein a spherical ball element is mounted on a frame structure secured to the automotive vehicle or towing vehicle and the trailer is provided with a socket adapted to receive the ball and to mechanically secure the ball and socket in mechanical engagement. The particular problem to which this invention is directed is the maneuvering of the towing vehicle with respect to the trailer so as to align the ball and socket along a vertical axis whereby the trailer may be maneuvered to lower the socket onto the ball and effect the interconnection. The automotive vehicle is normally provided with its component of the hitch assembly at the rear with the operator being located a substantial distance forwardly thereof and out of direct visual contact with either that component of the hitch assembly or the socket component carried by the trailer. Consequently, the vehicle operator has substantial difficulty in maneuvering the automotive vehicle so as to effect the alignment of the two components and permit the interconnection.
One technique that is utilized to obtain the alignment of the hitch assembly components is the positioning of an observer at the rear of the automotive vehicle adjacent the front of the trailer who can visually signal the vehicle operator as to lateral and longitudinal displacement to position the ball in alignment with the trailer hitch assembly socket. An observer, however, is not always readily available and thus attempts have been made to facilitate the alignment process through techniques such as use of optical mirrors. An optical mirror system of a very basic form for such purposes is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,701 issued Aug. 18, 1970 to R. J. Stronmeier. That patent merely illustrates a device which includes a convex surface mirror mounted on a vertical standard that may be detachably secured to a component of the trailer at its forward end and to position the mirror at a vertical elevation where the operator of the towing vehicle may look rearwardly and view both the socket on the trailer and the ball coupling on the rear of the towing vehicle. The objective is to enable the operator to ascertain the relative locations of the spherical ball and the receiving socket. While a simple mirror system such as that shown in the noted patent provides a means for the vehicle operator to view the two components of the hitch assembly, such a system fails to provide any guidance information as to the direction of movement of the ball on the towing vehicle with respect to the trailer hitch socket. Alignment of the two components requires that the vehicle operator be aware of the direction of movement of the ball along a path that is related to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The disadvantage of simply using a mirror is that the vehicle operator is not apprised of the longitudinal axis along which the ball joint is traversing even though the vehicle operator may have a general view as to the orientation of the towing vehicle with respect to the trailer. Consequently, a slight angular differentiation as between the longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle as to the towed or trailer can result in a misalignment of the two components, and thus, necessitate a second attempt, or more, to effect the proper alignment.
Another significant deficiency of a simple mirror system such as that shown in the Strohmeier patent is the relative inability of such a structure to be readily adapted to the wide range of dimensional variations as between various models and manufacturers of trailers since the location of the front support jack assembly may be located at several diverse positions with respect to the hitch assembly socket. Strohmeier has attempted to solve that problem through suggesting that the support standard for the mirror be made of a material that permits it to be bent to different shapes so as to locate the mirror at different positions. However, the bending of a support standard necessarily is limited in its capability to properly locate the mirror as to any particular trailer and hitch assembly. Also, mounting of the support standard by means of a simple magnetic attachment to the post of the front support screw jack does not provide a great amount of versatility in appropriately locating the mirror at a proper elevation with respect to the different types of automotive vehicles. For example, bending the support standard so that it will locate the mirror in a more forward direction with respect to the jack stand necessarily results in placing the mirror at a lower elevation and that may significantly alter the viewing angle with respect to the vehicle operator for his particular vehicle and may adversely affect his ability to view the two hitch assembly components.